Generally stated, the present invention relates to means for prewarming the passenger compartment of a vehicle prior to operation of the vehicle engine through the use of heat available from vehicle engine preheating means. More specifically, the present invention relates to an auxiliary air preheater means for use in prewarming interiors of vehicles having engine preheating means employing a heated fluid for prewarming the vehicle engine prior to operation of either the vehicle engine or the vehicle heater operated off of engine heat.
In many areas of the world, climatic conditions are such that when motor driven vehicles, such as automobiles, air planes, boats, trucks, off road equipment and the like are not operated during an overnight period of time, the engine must be preheated before it may be operated. Engine preheaters for preheating the engine prior to its operation are generally well known in the art and include various types of head bolt heaters, crank case oil heaters, circulating heaters and tank heaters. In many of such engine heating devices, a warm fluid is circulated through a heater, gas or electrically operated, and a jacket positioned about the engine block or crank case, or may even be circulated through the radiator system of the vehicle engine. Since these engine preheaters are operated before the engine of the vehicle is started, it has been common practice heretofore to also then operate the vehicle engine for a period of time in order to warm up the interior of the vehicle, i.e. passenger compartment, in order to defrost window areas and provide a comfortable environment for passengers. Such operation of the vehicle engine in order to run the commonly provided vehicle interior heater operating off of engine heat, or the vehicle electrical system, is considered to be wasteful of energy and a contributor to the pollutant of our environment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to disclose and provide an auxiliary air preheater means for use in prewarming a vehicle passenger compartment at the same time the vehicle engine is being preheated prior to when the vehicle engine is operated and prior to when a vehicle engine associated passenger compartment heater is operated.
It is a further object of the present invention to disclose and provide an auxiliary air preheater means as in the foregoing object wherein the heat source utilized for preheating the engine may be employed for heating air to be circulated between the auxiliary air preheater means and vehicle passenger compartment, to provide for the introduction of fresh air into such circulating system and to conserve heat which might otherwise be dissipated into the atmosphere during preheating of the vehicle engine.
These objects as well as others, and various advantages of the within invention, will become readily understood by those skilled in the art from a consideration of the detailed description of a preferred exemplary embodiment thereof set forth hereinafter.